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Gretchen Shlarbe

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Nov. 2, 2010

Gretchen Shlarbe asked a question

Facebook fans "like" you, but how do you get them to do more?

Monetization Strategies

Oct. 14, 2010

Gretchen Shlarbe recommends this answer by Jessica Groopman

Should customer service be taught?

That's an interesting question. I think it's important for employees or prospective businesspeople to be prompted on basic customer service best practices, but I'm not sure it's worth devoting an entire semester or course to it. For business majors, perhaps. But is it really so ... more

Customer Service

Human Resources

Corporate Learning

Sept. 11, 2010

Gretchen Shlarbe recommends this answer by Jessica Groopman

Should I make my inside sales team stick to a rigid "script?"

I definitely agree with the above answers. Following a script can be a bare-bones crutch for brand new reps, but people shine in their own light. In other words, people are most convincing when they believe in what they're selling. It's hard to be concerned ... more

Customer Service

Call Center Associates

Sept. 9, 2010

Gretchen Shlarbe recommends this answer by Jaxi West

How do you differentiate between customer service and marketing?

When you are engaging in customer service, you are marketing. Every aspect of your business and every employee in your business is your constant voice/image of that business. They are overlapping and intertwined, but I agree, they are different aspects of this.
You could spend ... more

Customer Service

Sept. 9, 2010

Gretchen Shlarbe recommends this answer by Andrew Baker

How much does a vendor's reputation matter in the selection process?

Elizabeth,
As Jon mentioned, some of these things are going to be harder to determine than others.
Vendor reputation *does* matter. But in what context?
It depends on the nature of the product or service being sought. If you are purchasing physical product, then the aspect of the ... more

Technology Vendors

Vendor Comparisons

Aug. 28, 2010

Gretchen Shlarbe recommends this answer by Jessica Groopman

How do you score leads?

Parker, this is a great question... and key to effective lead generation and nurturing. Kim's response is spot on, and a truly excellent answer to your question.
There are two things I would expand on. One is that lead scoring can vary depending on the ... more

Marketing Automation

Marketing Automation Features

Aug. 23, 2010

Gretchen Shlarbe recommends this answer by Jessica Groopman

Great Recession: hurt or helped your business?

This is a great discussion. What do you think about the overall effect of the economy on business' IT spending? Vote on a related poll....
http://www.focus.com/polls/view/how-has-economy-affected-your-business-it-spe... more

Great Recession

Small Business Loans

Aug. 19, 2010

Gretchen Shlarbe recommends this answer by Jessica Groopman

How many ERP companies did you evalutate before making a decision?

Hey Kate,
While I myself haven't purchased an ERP for my company, part of my job is conducting market research on prospective ERP buyers- so I talk to many people who are evaluating ERP for their businesses. From my experience, buyers vary in how many ... more

Information Technology

Software Evaluations

Aug. 11, 2010

Gretchen Shlarbe recommends this answer by Rob Wood

Focus Research Insight: 10% of buyers start their research with user references. Where do get yours?

I start with Google. What Jerry says is true, in that unethical vendors may "salt" forums or even Yelp with ringers; but if you spend some quality time in a variety of online venues, you start to get an overall sense of a company. We ... more

General Management

Aug. 11, 2010

Gretchen Shlarbe recommends this answer by Michael Dortch

What are some tips for starting a small restaurant business?

Lauren:
Are your parents computer-literate? If not, now's the time to take a course or two and do a bit of research.
As they visit their favorite restaurants and local potential competitors, they should make sure to ask what restaurant management software tools they use. And they ... more

July 11, 2010

Gretchen Shlarbe recommends this answer by Jessica Groopman

Feedback surveys: How do you define success?

Lucas,
I would offer that the platform you choose should also take into account the information you are trying to collect. For example, if you're interested in gaining insight on a customer's experience using your website, you may want to provide them the opportunity to ... more

Customer Service

Customer Experience

Customer Feedback

Customer Service Feedback

June 4, 2010

Gretchen Shlarbe asked a question

What's the difference between Virtualization and Automation?

Information Technology

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